Task 3 new

Task 3

'Stan' tells the story of a disturbed young man who claims to be Eminem’s biggest fan. In the

song, he writes letters to Eminem, with each verse he becomes more obsessed with him and

starts acting crazier; when he receives no reply, he becomes angrier. He creates a voice

recording of himself driving his car into a lake, with his pregnant girlfriend in the trunk. In

the fourth verse, Eminem writes to Stan, only to realize that he had already heard about

Stan’s death on the news.

The genre of Stan is hip-hop. It has typical

conventions of hip-hop, such as the fast paced beat

and swearing. The style of the music video is dark

and there is low key lighting. It is like this to suit the

depressing and dull mood of the song. However, the

whole atmosphere and style of the music video is very unconventional for a hip hop music

video. A conventional hip hop music video would make the artist a star showing their wealth

and the male gaze would most likely to used and to make the audience idolise the artist.

However, Eminem is hardly seen in the music video as he has a serious message to put

across, and his way of doing this is by following an obsessive fan – Stan. The male gaze is

also not used in the music video. This is because the message of the song is for the audience

to better themselves and not idolise celebrities. This way, the message gets across and there

are no women as a distraction to take away from the message of the song.

In the music video, Stan is dressed in the same way

Eminem dresses and bleaches his hair in the beginning of

the music video, to make himself look more like Eminem.

He wears a white top, which symbolises madness and

obsession. Whereas, Stan’s girlfriend (Dido) is dressed in

blue, which symbolises her loyalty to Stan. We also see

their house, which is rundown, lower class and in a poor

area. The audience can see this by the state of the inside

of the house. For

instance, the

bathroom is dirty. This

is shown, so the audience can relate to Stan, as the

majority of Eminem’s fans are lower class. It is also

established that it is raining as we are shown the outside of the house during the opening

shot of the music video. This is pathetic fallacy, where the weather reflects the mood.

Diegetic noises of thunder and lightning can also be heard to reflect the mood. Therefore, as

rain has negative connotations it goes along with the

depressing atmosphere of the song. Noises of thunder

and lightning is shown also to reflect the mood.

Whereas, if it was established that it was good weather

outside, it wouldn’t go along with the vibe of the song.

The whole music video has a dark colour scheme, and

very rarely is light used. In fact, there is only one instance where light is shown, and this is

when Stan is meeting Eminem. Light is shown here to show that Stan is in a positive mood

compared to the rest of the video where he is seen as mad. Conventional lip synching is

used, as Eminem is rapping through Stan. This shows the authenticity of Eminem and is

making him the star. Stan is lip syncing, and he is representing fans of Eminem, who may be

a bit obsessive over Eminem and Eminem is

rapping on behalf of the fans. There is no dance

choreography, which is unconventional for a hip-

hop music video. This is because dancing

symbolises happiness and this does not fit the

theme of the song. Another unconventional

feature is the songs meaning. Whereas, other

hip-hop artists would express their happiness in their wealth and try to get their audience to

follow them, Eminem wants the opposite, he does not want to be idolised, he wants his fans

to be themselves and the song has a depressing tone to it. Eminem alludes the point that his

music is unsuitable for younger kids and shows this through Stan. For instance, Stan brings

his younger brother with him to see Eminem, even though this is unsuitable. He does this to

show that younger kids are listening to his albums through their older siblings and that they

should not be doing this. There are also links to other artists, for example Phil Collins. This is

unconventional for a hip-hop artist to reference a popular artist. ‘Stan’ is also a

collaboration with Dido. This has been done because Dido has a powerful voice which can

convey a lot of emotion in the lyrics, which fits the atmosphere of the song.

The music video is a narrative telling the story of an obsessive fan writing to Eminem. It is

linear as the storyline is going forward and progressing even though, there are flashbacks

involved. It is going in chronological order, and this is to not confuse the audience so they

don’t lose the sense of the message. Eminem wants the message to be put across.

Eminem is represented as a normal guy with loyal fans. This is so the audience can relate to

him and he can be made into the star, who is

good to his fans, which can be seen with

Eminem writing back to Stan, whereas at the

start, he may seem ignorant as to him not

responding to his fan mail. While, Stan is

presented as the aggressive and possessive

male, which the audience of mainly male

teenagers do not want themselves to turn into

by possessing over a celebrity such as Eminem.

Women in the music video are presented as

fragile, vulnerable and very supportive. This is

seen in the music video, where Dido is loyal to

Stan and supportive of him, even allowing him

to have his basement dedicated to Eminem.

Even though, she is unhappy, which is seen throughout the music video. The audience also

gets the sense that Stan is protective of the basement and does not allow his girlfriend to go

down there. We can see this by her shocked

expression when she walks down there. Stan’s

social class is also represented in the music video.

He is shown to be lower class and struggling. It is

also presented that these lower class people have

no ambition and idolise people above them, as

seen with Stan. It is established that Stan is lower class due to the condition of the house,

being small and rundown. It is presented that people that don’t have a good life and no

money are aggressive and frustrated, just like Stan. Stan’s merchandise and obsession with

Eminem is based in the basement. This is because the basement reflects Stan’s mood of

dark and twisted. Here, he has serval pictures of Eminem, a TV with Eminem on and Stan

sees himself as Eminem in the mirror. It is unconventional for a hip-hop music video to be

based in a basement, as they are usually set in mansions or at a party.

The music video starts from a black fade

transition and an establishing shot of the

outside of the house, which has established

that they are in their house. A low angle is

used to show that Dido is heavily pregnant.

Low key lighting is used and a bird’s eye view

shot is then used to show how rundown their

bathroom is and states they are of low social

class. Several close ups are used on both Stan

and Dido, which are used to express the

differences of emotions on their faces.

Stan’s, is a look of joy and pleasure, whereas

Dido’s is of concern for Stan. Constant shots of Dido include close ups and mid shots. These

are to show that she is heavily pregnant and to show

the expressions on her face. In the beginning, mainly

mid, long and birds eye shots are used with slow

editing. This is so the tension builds up throughout

the song. The lyrics directly relate to the music video,

for instance, during the chorus “the morning rain clouds up my window and I can't see at all

and even if I could it'll all be grey”. This is shown through the opening shot, where we see

that it is raining outside. Another example of this is when Stan writes his letter to Eminem,

and we hear what is being written down. A close up of

the TV is used, showing Eminem waving into the

camera, it then cuts to a long shot, to show Stan waving

back at Eminem. During the basement scenes, several

tracking long

shots are used to

show the extent

of Stan’s

obsession and

his ‘shrine’ to Eminem. An over the shoulder

shot is used when Stan is in the basement and

looking in the mirror. Here, he sees himself as

Eminem. Fade transitions are used throughout

the music video, this indicates the passing of

time and allows the story to progress. The

audience are also given several shots of the

letter falling out, to make sure the audience

notices this and it allows the atmosphere to

build up. Low angles are used thoroughly

when Stan writes his letters to Eminem. This is to

show Stan’s agitation building up and the camera

pans so the audience can see the ceiling where

there are more Eminem memorabilia. To show

flashbacks, more fade transitions are used. Stan’s

expression shows his admiration for Eminem,

whereas his brother looks uninterested. This

directly contradicts the lyrics, where Stan states

that his brother likes Eminem more than he does.

During the flashbacks, high angles are used to

show

Stan

and how he admires Eminem. However, low

angles are used to portray Eminem on stage,

almost godlike. Stan also covers a picture of his

girlfriend and himself with Eminem. Showing

that he is almost fantasizing about being with him.

Throughout the music video, the main focus is on

Stan, however, the camera occasionally cuts back to

Eminem, to reassure the viewer that it is his song and

this is backed by the constant pictures of Eminem in

Stan’s basement. Towards the end of the song, when

Stan is driving close ups are used to show Stan

constantly looking at the picture of Eminem hanging

from his mirror. This is to show that Stan believes he is

directly speaking to Eminem. During Eminem’s verse,

shots are

reused from before, however, they now have a

brighter glow around them, which symbolises

the death of Stan. At the end of the song, a high

angle close up is used of Stan’s brother

Matthew. Here, we see he has dyed his hair the

same as his brother and Eminem, which connotes that he will be the same/be obsessed like

Stan when he is older. For the final shot, Eminem has the realisation that it was Stan that

killed himself and this is shown through Stan’s face appearing in the window.

Goodwin’s music video theory states that there is a relationship between the lyrics and the

visuals. This applies to the music video of Stan. For instance, when Stan is writing the letter,

we hear “Dear Slim, I wrote you but you still aren’t calling” and we see Stan writing the

letter to Eminem. We also hear in the chorus, “the morning rain clouds up my window and I

can't see at all and even if I could it'll all be grey”, this directly relates to the visuals, as we

can see and hear that it is raining outside. The music video also cuts to the pace of the song.

For example, throughout, there are slow cuts, but towards the end when Stan is driving, the

pace of the cuts speeds up. This also relates to the mood of the song. However, although

the songs genre is hip-hop, it does not have the typical conventions of a hip-hop music

video. For instance, it has a depressing mood and is not in a typical setting. Although,

Eminem the music video is set around Stan and not Eminem, several close ups of Eminem

are still used to establish that he is the star and make him recognizable for the audience. For

instance, close ups are used of Eminem from the posters of him in Stan’s basement. We also

see close ups when he is on stage and when he is writing his letter to Stan. However, the

close ups are mainly used of Stan, so fans can see themselves in the position of the fan.

Voyeurism, however is not used in the music video for Stan. Dido is present in the video, but

she is not there in a sexual way, as visual pleasure for men. This is so the male audience

does not get distracted and so they get the message of the song. For the song, there are

references to other artists, such as Phil Collins and Dido. These people ensure that the song

engages with the audience and the audience may be satisfied with this. Stan mentions that

he’ll name his daughter Bonnie which is referencing Eminem’s “Bonnie & Clyde” and is

another sign of obsession and idolisation of Eminem. Overall, the music video for Stan does

not follow Goodwin’s music video theory.

Katy Perry’s last Friday night music video, follows Katy Perry’s alter ego Kathy Beth Terry,

and how she goes from being an unpopular geek, to the life of the party. The music video

features several cameos, these include Rebecca Black, Corey Feldman, Debbie Gibson,

Kenny G, Hanson, and Kevin McHale and Darren Criss of Glee.

The genre of Katy Perry’s last Friday night is pop. The

video features all the typical conventions of a pop

music video. For instance, the song is fast paced and

a bright/bold colour scheme is used. The video is also

set at a house party with an 80’s theme. Which, has

fun connotations and a positive atmosphere. A lot of

cuts are used in the music video, due to the fast pace

of the song. However, it is quite unconventional for a

pop music video, as it is set out more like a short film

rather than a music video. However, bright colours

such as pink and yellow are used, which creates an

upbeat atmosphere, that appeals to the target

audience, and a fun image is created. The style of the

music video is a narrative. In order to promote Katy

Perry and get her following to idolise her. More than

20 close ups of the star are used to emphasise her

importance. These close ups also portray the

emotion on Katy Perry’s face. The male gaze is used

in the music video. This is a typical convention in a

pop music video, as being dressed provocatively gains

more views. The male gaze is used to attract a male

audience to Katy Perry, as her main audience may be

female. However, due to her main audience being

female, the female gaze is also used. The female gaze

is becoming more present in modern music videos. The female gaze views things from the

perspective of a female or reflects female attitudes. The female gaze is used in the music

video for last Friday night, through the use of the jock character. Katy Perry’s main audience

of teenage girls, may find this guy attractive and draw more females to the video, especially

as he gets shirtless in the music video.

Everyone in the music videos wearing bright colours, showing

a happy mood. It is also established by the clothing that the

party is 80s themed. The characters are very stereotypical,

for instance, Katy Perry’s character starts off wearing clothes

that cover her up and is showing that she is unpopular.

However, she then changes in to more tight fitting clothing,

which shows off more flesh. She changes into pink, which

symbolises femininity and she does this to catch the boys

attention. The popular boy is a typical jock, who is confident

and masculine and the geek is stereotypically unpopular. The

other people at the party are

not dressed extravagantly

like the three main

characters. This is to not take

attention away from the star

– Katy Perry.

There is a clear relationship between the visuals and

the lyrics in the song. For example, “There's a stranger

in my bed there's a pounding in my head glitter all over

the room pink flamingos in the pool”, we see these as

they are being sung. Another example of this is

“Pictures of last night ended up online”, and we see

Katy Perry looking through her social media. We can

also see that she only has two friends on her social

media account, further showing how unpopular she is.

A typical convention in the music video is the lip

synching. Katy Perry lip syncs the lyrics in the music

video. This amplifies the lyrics, so the audience

understand the connection between the narrative

(visual) and the lyrics (audio). By lip synching, it is

established that Katy Perry is the star. There is no

choreographed dancing in the video, however dancing

is featured. This is a typical convention of a pop music

video. Dancing is shown, as this happens at parties

and is meant to be relatable for the audience. The

dancing goes with the fast tempo of the song and

connotes having fun. There are several meanings to

the song. Firstly, to not judge a book by its cover, as

Katy Perry’s character starts off unpopular, but as she

dresses up in tighter clothing, she becomes popular. It

is also stated that in order for teenage girls to be

popular, they need to make an effort and change for

men. There are a few allusions in the music video for

last Friday night. One is that it’s not always about the

popular kids, and the ‘geeks’ can still have fun.

Another allusion is that upper class kids live a spoilt

life and their parents don’t care/discipline them if they

do something bad. It is clear that Kathy Beth Terry is

from an upper class family due to the establishing shot

at the beginning. Here, we can see that she has a large

house, in an idyllic area. For example, when Kathy Beth Terrys parents come home to find

their house trashed, they do not care. In the music video, the characters play the game ‘just

dance’. This is synergy as Katy Perry has a song on the game and it acts as an advertisement

for the game. The ‘geek’ character has a dream sequence, where he almost fantasizes about

saving and being with ‘Kathy’. This is because he sees her like himself – a geek. The style of

the dream sequence is set like a video game, what the ‘geek’ character would play and he

still dreams of her the way she is before her makeover, as a ‘geek’ even after the transition

has occurred.

There are links to several other artists in the music

video. The first is Rebecca Black. The inclusion of

Rebecca Black is for popularity and views. The video

for last Friday night, acts as a sequel to Rebecca Blacks

Friday even though, it was written before Friday. Due

to the popularity and Friday going viral, including

Rebecca Black ensures views. Another artist present is

saxophonist Kenny G, who plays Kathy’s uncle. 80s

teen stars Debbie Gibson and Corey Haim are also

included in the music video, acting as Kathy Beth

Terry’s parents. These actors are included as it fits the

theme of the 80s and the audience may get a sense of satisfaction for noticing them. The

music video also replicates the work from other films. Such as the style being inspired by the

movie ‘16 candles’. Another replica of work is when

Kathy Beth Terry walks down the stairs in slow

motion (mean girls) and the relationship with the

jock character (John Tucker must die). Due to the

music video being set as a short film rather than a

music video, it also features credits and a bloopers

reel.

The music video follows a non-linear narrative, as it begins with the aftermath of the party

from the night before. The music video is set this way in order to intrigue the audience,

making sure that they watch the whole video. The narrative also helps the audience follow

what Katy Perry is singing about. For instance, the lyrics almost directly following what

happens in the music video.

The representations in the music video, are very

stereotypical. The jock character is stereotypical,

shown through the mise en scene. His body actions

and language portray that he is confident. The

character dismisses ‘Kathy’ when she is dressed like

a geek, however he is suddenly into her once she has

had a makeover. He makes derogatory moves, such

as grabbing her. This shows that he is only into her

once she starts dressing more sexually, although, we

can see her personality hasn’t changed due to her

actions and facial expressions. However, this still

shows that the jock is a shallow person, who only

notices women when they dress sexually and not for

who they are. There is an alternative representation

of the jock, as he is meant to be tough and strong

however, the ‘nerd’ character punches him and

knocks him out. The jock is seen as a typical teenage

boy, who won’t notice someone until they dress

more provocatively. The nerd character is also

stereotypical. He is wearing glasses and braces and is

overlooked by Kathy as she prefers the jock. The

camera angles also portray him as a loner by him

sitting in a chair in the corner of the room, whilst

everyone else is dancing and having fun. He is shown

to be alone and unimportant and this is shown by a

high angle shot looking down on him. An alternative

view of this character is shown, as he punches the

jock making him look strong. The character of Kathy Beth Terry is also a typical geek shown

by the clothing and accessories such as braces, glasses and dungarees. When the makeover

occurs, she is classed as prettier. She starts to wear tight clothes, which attract attention,

such as from the jock.

Katy Perry stars in the music video as her alter ego Kathy Beth Terry. To help create the

character of Kathy Beth Terry, Katy Perry uploaded videos to a YouTube channel, created a

Facebook page and twitter account for Kathy.

The music video starts off with an establishing shot,

panning around, showing large houses which sets the

setting for the music video at a house. It is also

established that it is morning via the newspaper boy.

A mid-shot then long

shot is used to show

the extent of the

mess in Kathy’s

room. Mid-shots

are used in the

beginning to show

the confusion on Kathy’s face, but also showing how

trashed her room is at the same time. A dissolved transition is used to go back in time. As

we start in the morning we then go back to the last night.

A long shot is used of Kathy’s room, showing a before

and after. More long shots are used, which show the

size of the house party. A high angle close up is used of

the nerd character, showing he is alone and happy once

he sees Kathy walk into the house party. A two shot is

used between Kathy and the jock. This is used to show

the emotions of both characters. Kathy is excited to see

him, whereas the jock

gives her a dirty look and

dismisses her to

check/hang out with another girl. Several two shots are used

here. One is between the jock and the girl, this is used to

show the girl touching the jocks abs. another two shot is

used between Kathy and Rebecca, showing Kathy sad that

the jock is uninterested in her and Rebecca taking her

upstairs for a makeover. A vertical panning shot is used

when Kathy comes down the stairs. This is for anticipation,

and makes the audience feel like they are actually there,

watching as she is walking down. Here, we see that she is

walking awkwardly, like she has never walked in heels

before. This shows that she has never worn heels before, as

she is a ‘geek’ and wears stereotypically nerdy clothes

normally such as dungarees. Long shots are used to now

show that Kathy is dancing and being cheered on by

other people at the party, unlike before the

makeover. A close up is used, showing Kathy looking

seductively towards the camera, now that she has

had her makeover. However, even though she has

had a makeover and looks ‘sexy’, we still see her

geeky side. This is used to establish that Katy Perry

is the star of the music video and that it is her song. It also shows that she is still genuine

after becoming popular.

The images shown in the music video, also cut to the beat of the song. During the chorus,

there are more/quicker cuts and during the verses the cuts are slower. This is because

during the verses there are visuals to go along with the audio and in order for the audience

to take this all in, it needs to be slowed down, unlike the chorus where party shots are

shown.

Goodwin’s music video theory states that there is a relationship between the visuals and the

lyrics, in order to amplify/contradict the lyrics. This is present in Katy Perry’s last Friday night

music video in several cases. For instance, “there's a stranger in my bed”, and we see a man

next to her in her bed. These happen throughout the music video. Another case of this is “Is

this a hickey or a bruise?” we see her neck and “pictures of last night ended up online”, here

we see Kathy on her laptop on social media looking at pictures from the night before. The

second part to the theory, is that the visuals are edited in time to the lyrics and visuals are

repeated during the chorus. This again is shown in the music video. For example, cuts are

quicker during the chorus and slower during the verses. Visuals of the party are also shown

during the chorus. Again, the music video takes the style of most pop videos, evolving

around a love story. It also features more typical conventions of a pop music video, such as

bright colours and an upbeat atmosphere. Multiple close ups of the artist are also present

(over 20) especially once ‘Kathy’ has had a makeover, to create her as the star. A

recognisable character of Kathy Beth Terry is also created. The male gaze theory is also used

during the close ups, showing her looking seductively towards the camera, for the male

audience. The use of close ups makes it more intimate for the audience, and they may feel

closer to the star. Voyeurism is also used in the music video, shown when she is walking

down the stairs, like the audience is at the party and watching her walk down the stairs.

Another place voyeurism is used is when she is getting changed. We watch Kathy from

Rebecca Blacks perspective of her handing her clothes. We also see Kathy sleeping in her

bedroom. This is again used to entice the male audience and sexualise Katy Perry. Lastly,

intertextual references are present. It contains cameos from other famous stars. An

example of this is the inclusion of Rebecca Black who released another song about “Friday”.

The Intertextual references continues with the inclusion of 80’s teen stars Debbie Gibson (as

her mother) and Corey Haim (her father). Overall, the music video for last Friday night

encompasses all aspects of Goodwin’s music video theory.

Eminem’s Stan is an unconventional hip-hop video, as it follows a clear narrative and is a

collaboration with Dido who is a pop artist. Usually, a hip-hop artist would not do this as it

would be damaging to their reputation. It also has a depressing tone and atmosphere to it,

unlike most hip-hop artists, who express their wealth to their audience. However, Eminem

does not flash his wealth by not wearing expensive clothes or jewellery. Eminem also has a

serious message to put across to his fans. Whereas, Katy Perry’s last Friday night music

video is very conventional for a pop music video. It also follows a narrative, but is set more

like a short film rather than a music video and follows a conventional love story. It features

several cameos and It has a very bright colour scheme. The atmosphere of the music video

is also upbeat and creates a positive mood. The music video uses the male gaze theory,

which is very conventional for a pop video, and uses the more modern theory of the female

gaze, which uses men as visual pleasure for women. In conclusion, both music videos are

very different to each other, with one following Goodwin’s music video theory and being

conventional (last Friday night) and another not following the theory or being conventional

(Stan).